Video shows Miami Police officer sitting in cruiser as cyclists beat up driver
By Sheldon Fox, Rubén Rosario
Click here for updates on this story
MIAMI (WSVN) — Days after surveillance cameras recorded a driver swarmed by a mob of cyclists in broad daylight in the heart of Miami, the city’s police department has taken action against an officer for what she is accused of failing to do.
The brouhaha went down Sunday evening along busy Biscayne Boulevard, near 14th Street.
The security footage shows a gang of angry bicyclists going berserk — beating on the motorist, breaking his windshield, jumping on and stomping on his car’s roof and hood, and using a bike to punctuate the beatdown.
Meanwhile, a Miami Police officer sat in her car with a front-row seat to the mayhem.
It all started when the victim pulled up to the intersection of Biscayne and 14th Street, right between the Arsht Center and the James L. Knight Concert Hall.
The driver appeared to be arguing with a bicyclist seen wearing a green shirt. The driver is then seen heading over to the officer, who is parked nearby and appears to speak to the officer before he heads back to his vehicle — all while he is circled by at least two men on bikes.
Then the madness happens, because from the north, a gang of others on bicycles are seen riding up and going on the attack.
The assailants kicked, punched, stomped, smashed a window and even hurled a bike — all while the officer remained in her cruiser the entire time.
Some time later, other people. possibly Miami Police officers, rushed to the man’s aid. One biker got tackled, and several others pedaled off.
The female officer eventually did come out of her cruiser, once other officers arrived.
The extent of the victim’s injuries is unknown.
Police told 7News they responded a reported call of a bicyclist-versus-motorist dispute involving an assault.
In a statement to 7News, Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales wrote:
“The members of the Miami Police Department understand and take great pride in upholding their responsibility to protect and serve our community. We must act for the betterment of our community.”
The bike attacks have been a common problem since before 7News broke at least a half-dozen stories on the matter — from Miami to Miami Beach. The riders involved used the Venetian Causeway to flee the cities after the attacks.
The police officer who remained in her cruiser during Sunday’s attack remains relieved of duty, meaning she is on suspension pending the outcome of an internal affairs investigation.
Friday night, Morales told 7News that he will share the results of this investigation once it concludes.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
